Social Media Activists Launch Campaign to Urge Freedom of Press TV Anchor from US Jail

The social media activists and family members of Marzieh Hashemi, a journalist and anchor working for Iran’s English-language Press TV television news network, have launched a campaign to demand her freedom from prison in the US.

News ID: 443055

Date: 18 January 2019 - 21:09

RNA - The hashtags #FreeMarziehHashemi and #Pray4MarziehHashemi have been several times used in the social media in support of the detained journalist.

American-born Hashemi, most famous for anchoring news programs and presenting shows for Press TV, was detained upon arrival at St. Louis Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, her family and friends said.

Press TV has learned that she was transferred by the FBI to a detention facility in Washington, DC. The US officials have so far refused to provide any reasons for her apprehension either to her or her family.

The Associated Press said the FBI did not have a comment on the arrest.

The arrest was condemned by the social media users, journalists and officials across the world.

“As I said they are making a big mistake because they are actually showcasing the hypocrisy that exists in US government, in US foreign policy and they are basically making a fool out of themselves because Ms Hashemi by being in prison is actually showcasing the type of people who are running the US government now,” Foad Izadi, a professor at University of Tehran, said in an interview on Thursday.

Also, the Switzerland-Based Journalist Support Committee (JSC) issued a statement on Wednesday, calling on the US government to immediately release Hashemi.

“The United States of America must release Marzieh Hashemi who is suffering a clear violation of human rights on the basis of unspecified charges,” read the statement issued by the committee.

“This is an assault on freedom of expression, undoubtedly her profession and her religion have come into play as US authorities continue to treat her in such an inhumane and degrading manner,” added the announcement rolled out by the JSC.

Referring to anti-journalists pressures by the administration of the US President Donald Trump, the statement added, “The Journalist Support Committee calls on the international community to speak out against the maltreatment of Marzieh Hashemi which is indicative of a worrying trend in this current Trump administration towards increased persecution of journalists.”

“Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights indicates that: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,’” the committee highlighted in its communique.

“Unfortunately in this case Hashemi's inalienable right to freedom of expression has been seriously violated by the US authorities,” the JSC regretted.

According to Fars News Agancy, the statement reminded, “The International Declaration on the Protection of Journalists recognizes that ‘all members of the international community shall fulfil, jointly and separately, their solemn obligation to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, including freedom of expression and media freedom, without distinction of any kind, including distinctions based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, and reaffirming the particular importance of achieving international cooperation to fulfil this obligation according to the UN Charter.’”

“The Journalist Support Committee asks the United States government to uphold their commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the International Declaration on the Protection of Journalists and to thereby release Marzieh Hashemi whose detention is unjust and without reason,” concluded the statement.

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